Pregame report: Beasley making progress and could return before end of regular season
Michael Beasley, a key member of the Milwaukee Bucks' bench corps, will be able to get back on the practice court next week and could return before the end of the regular season, Bucks coach Jason Kidd said Friday.
Beasley suffered a hyperextended left knee in Cleveland on Feb. 27 and has been sidelined for the past 14 games, including Friday's Eastern Conference matchup against Atlanta.
"Hopefully, he will be on the court here next week," Kidd said. "He's doing well."
Beasley did some shooting on the court under the watchful eye of coach Tim Grgurich before the Bucks played the Hawks.
John Henson also was out Friday for a second straight game because of a sprained left thumb he suffered in the Bucks' 93-90 win over Portland on Tuesday. Kidd said he was being evaluated by doctors prior to the game.
The Hawks were missing forward Paul Millsap (left knee) and guard Kent Bazemore (right knee bone bruise). Atlanta brought a five-game losing streak to Milwaukee and the Hawks' lead over the Bucks had dwindled to one game, although the Hawks have the tiebreaker with Milwaukee.
The Bucks have won 10 of their last 12, including going 4-2 on a season-long six-game road trip. Kidd warned that the Bucks have to be wary of the first game at home after a long trip, citing Portland's loss to Milwaukee (after the Trail Blazers went 4-1 on a recent trip).
"We talked about it," Kidd said. "When you're on the road for a while and have to go cross-country, that first game home is the hardest. We saw Portland up close, a team that was extremely hot and it scores 90 points.
"We would like to take a lot of credit for our defense (in that game). It's a road game (Friday). Being home you can be comfortable, but again, we're playing a team that is desperate and has lost five in a row. We can sit here and talk about the road trip, but the road trip is over.
"We only have 11 games left and this is a big game tonight."
Giannis Antetokounmpo had his 16th 30-point game and 26th double-double of the season in the Bucks' 116-98 victory in Sacramento on Wednesday as he scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
"I thought his play was high throughout that whole trip," Kidd said. "He's got a target on his back and it's not going to be easy.
"They're going to be physical. I think this is just preparing him for the playoffs. The whistle is not going to blow every time and you have to play through it."
Veteran forward Mirza Teletovic has played regular minutes off the bench in Beasley's absence and was a strong contributor on the Bucks' road trip. He played only 6 minutes at Golden State but played 23 and 22, respectively, in the wins over Portland and Sacramento. He was 5 for 13 from three-point range in those two games.
"I think he's been a true pro and we're going to need him to continue playing the way he has," Kidd said. "And it's not just his shooting. He's been great on the defensive end and helping us rebound the ball."
The Bucks are 0-3 against the Hawks this season and have dropped seven of the last nine meetings. They lost at home to Atlanta on Dec. 9 in a 110-104 decision, and the last time the teams met, the Hawks won, 111-98, on Jan. 15 in Atlanta. Antetokounmpo scored 33 points in that game.
